VMware provides supported paths for migrating from vCenter Server version 6.7 installations on Windows to vCenter Server Appliance 8.0 installations.

You can migrate the following deployments:

Table 1. Supported vSphere Migration Paths
Source Configuration Target Configuration
vCenter Server 6.7 with an embedded Platform Services Controller instance on Windows vCenter Server Appliance 8.0
vCenter Server 6.7 instance on Windows
Figure 1. High-level Tasks for vCenter Server on Windows Migration to vCenter Server Appliance 8.0
Flowchart showing the tasks involved in migration of vCenter Server on Windows to vCenter Server Appliance

You can use the GUI method or the CLI method to migrate your vCenter Server installation from Windows to an appliance.

Important: You cannot change your deployment type during migration.

Migration of Update Manager from Windows to a vCenter Server Appliance 8.0

For vSphere 6.7 and later releases, Update Manager is delivered as a 64-bit application and can be installed only on a 64-bit Windows operating system. In vSphere 6.7, Update Manager is provided as an optional service in vCenter Server Appliance 6.7. VMware provides supported paths for migrating Update Manager from a Windows operating system to a vCenter Server appliance version 8.0. In vSphere 8.0, Update Manager functionality is delivered as part of vSphere Lifecycle Manager.

You can migrate Update Manager in the following vCenter Server deployments:

Table 2. Supported Migration Paths for Update Manager That Runs on Windows to a vCenter Server Appliance
Source Configuration Target Configuration
vCenter Server and Update Manager run on the same Windows machine vCenter Server appliance 8.0 with embedded vSphere Lifecycle Manager
vCenter Server and Update Manager run on different Windows machines vCenter Server appliance 8.0 with embedded vSphere Lifecycle Manager
Update Manager run on a Windows machine and is connected to a vCenter Server Appliance vCenter Server appliance 8.0 with embedded vSphere Lifecycle Manager

You can use the GUI method or the CLI method to migrate your vCenter Server deployment that uses external Update Manager instance. If you use the GUI method, perform manual steps on the Update Manager Windows system. If you use the CLI method, add configuration parameters about Update Manager in your JSON template.

Important: Verify that the Update Manager source machine does not run additional extensions that are connected to other vCenter Server systems, which are not part of your migration.

Before the migration, Update Manager might use any of the supported Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or embedded database solutions. After the migration to the vCenter Server appliance, Update Manager is upgraded to embedded vSphere Lifecycle Manager, which uses the PostgreSQL database.